Surfing in Munich?

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We explored parts of Munich by bicycle today. The owners of the house we are staying in have really nice bikes but then most of Munich own great bikes. They have wonderful bike paths and lanes all over town. But you must be careful and signal to the other riders just like when driving a car. And stay in your lane or you might have a head on collision.

First stop was Marienplatz, the town square which had a crowd of people waiting for the 11:00 Glockenspiel chime. While waiting for that chime we went into St Peter's Church which is the oldest church in Munich. It was heavily damaged in the war but through a large donation from one of the beer companies in town and other private donations the church was restored .

Next stop the Viktualienmarkt, the outdoor market. Lots of produce, sausages, cheese, and bread sold here. But it seems like the major item being sold was beer. It really is astounding how much beer is drunk here in Munich. We had German sausages with German mustard for lunch purchased at one of the many food booths and then it was time to go to the next tourist attraction.

The Hofbrauhaus is the largest beer hall. As we walked in the oompah band was playing. This hall holds thousands of people. It was early afternoon when we were there so it was pretty empty. I can just imagine what it is like in the evenings!

By this time it was getting very hot out, about 95 degrees, so we decided to head to English Gardens which is the largest city park on the continent. The Isar River runs through the park. We were amazed at what we saw--people were actually surfing in the river! There is a spot by a spillway that causes some pretty good waves. It really looked like fun. But I never would have guessed I would see surfing in Munich! There were probably a couple thousand people in the park swimming, surfing, sunbathing, riding bikes, and playing soccer. But the park is so huge it didn't seem overly crowded. A great spot for the apartment dwellers, families, and university students to enjoy the warm weather.

We got a good start on some of the highlights of the city. It is an interesting place. It is hard to imagine what it would be like to have your home city with your favorite churches, schools, museums, bombed during a war. But they recovered quickly and Munich today is a lively city.

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Photos

Beerstand in the market
The guy pouring beer never turned off the tap. The beet just kept flowing and filling one pint after another

Mouflon salami
My friend Mj will be horrified when she hears of this salami!

Third floor of the beer hall.
Imagine this full of beer drinkers!

Comments

[Bill & Carol]

Totally Amazing!
Your trip seems to get more amazing with every blog.